


Times with the Turtles

by RubyT



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Kissing, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-08
Updated: 2017-11-10
Packaged: 2018-04-13 15:44:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4527900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RubyT/pseuds/RubyT
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ruby met the turtles who lived in the sewers. She must hide from a man from her not so distant past in order to stay alive.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Guest

Night had fallen on New York. The sky was covered in clouds. No one was out, the clouds raining heavily on to the buildings. The air was cold and seemed like it might start snowing. Down in the sewers, the sound of rain could be heard dripping down through the manholes. The only thing that could be heard were the sounds of footsteps and chatter. Four turtles walked through the tunnels. Each wore a mask, purple, red, blue, and orange. They were about the size of tall men and walked like them too. The purple masked turtle had glasses with gadgets on his shell and a pair sort of like binoculars on his forehead. The red masked one was big and muscular, wearing sunglasses on his forehead and holding a toothpick in his mouth. Straps wrapped around his shell and rags were on his biceps. The blue masked one had a strap over his shell, holding two swords against his shell and had a row of bamboo sticks down his chest. The orange masked turtle wore a kukri necklace, his own sunglasses hanging from it and two straps crisscross across his chest and around his shell. Each wore a samurai type bottom around their waists, except for the orange masked one, he wore a jacket around his waist. A rat trailed behind them, acting also like a man, a bit shorter than the turtles. He wore a yellow kimono with a black jacket. He was clearly unsettled and cautious.  
The blue masked turtle turned around, “Master Splinter, is something wrong?”  
Splinter shook his head, “Something is not right here. A presence dwindles in the rooms of our hideout. It has the essence of shredder, but not his soul.”  
The orange masked turtle stopped, “Wait, are we talking about the big armored brute with the blades on his knuckles…….tried to kill us over twenty times?” He nodded.  
The red masked turtle spoke up, “I thought he was dead!?”  
“That’s was we all thought.” The purple masked turtle said. They kept walking until they came to their hideout. The sound of muffled shuffles sounded from the kitchen area. The blue masked turtle brought one of his swords, looking at his brothers and nodding his head toward the sound. Weapons were drawn, the red masked one bringing out daggers, the orange masked one bringing out nun-chucks, and the purple masked one bringing out his staff. The four moved silently through the dark toward the lit area. Their hideout consisted of a big training room in the center with a weaponry wall on one side. Moving from the center, small rooms, used and unused, were built, five used as bedrooms, a bathroom, and four extra. Through one opening, there was the kitchen area with screens serving as windows for the cameras. Through another, a couch with a TV, the room a bit messy with empty pizza boxes. In the kitchen, the fridge was open, the door blocking the view of the intruder. The red masked turtle moved closer, looking over the top of the door.  
A shriek came from behind the door and a figure darted into the dark corner, “Please, I’m sorry. I didn’t think anyone lived here anymore.” The voice sounded of a girl.  
“What are you doing here?” he asked.  
“I-I was just h-hungry,” she stuttered, “Please, don’t hurt me.” The lights suddenly turned on and the intruder was revealed. It was a girl with thick, brown hair with matching brown eyes. She was wearing a teared t-shirt with shorts that used to look like pants. Her ribs were poking out of her chest, her stomach so sunken in, it looked painful. Her arms and legs looked so fragile, it didn’t seem possible they could carry her weight. Instead of regular ears, she had ones that looked like cat ears and a tail. Scars covered her body, concentrated on her sunken stomach. One stood out, one that traveled along her shoulder, a deep red. Three marks in a line, horizontally, almost looking like a lion scratched her.  
“Are you working for shredder!?” the red masked turtle asked in a harsh voice, a vein popping out on his neck.  
She shook her head, “I would never work for that evil man.”  
Splinter came in and placed a hand on his shoulder, “Calm yourself Raphael.” He backed off. The rat smiled at the girl, “What is your name my child?”  
She looked at him for a while before answering, “Ruby.” She said softly.  
Splinter smiled, “My name is Splinter.”  
The orange masked turtle smiled and came closer, “Hi, I’m Michelangelo, but you can call me Mikey. You’ve already met Raph.” He grunted. “The purple one is Donatello and the blue one is Leonardo. Donny and Leo for short.”  
Donny put his staff away, fixing his glasses slightly, “Nice to meet you.”  
Ruby looked at each of the turtles and slowly stood, leaning against the wall for support, “Same here.” She gave them a small smile.  
Splinter looked at her with a sad look, “Come, you must be hungry.” She nodded, touching what was left of her stomach. “Go and get some rest.” He touched her shoulder, guiding her to the couch. She lay down, curling at the end it. Splinter touched her head softly, sensing she was already asleep and left her to rest. He went back to the kitchen, finding that three of the four were already laying something out.  
Raph frowned, “Why are we helping her?”  
Splinter shook his head, “Because she is in need of it.”  
“Did you see her stomach?” Donny said, “I’m surprised her skin hasn’t ripped.” He put some fruit on the table.  
Leo shrugged, “I’m surprised she’s alive.”  
Mikey shushed them, “Don’t jinx her.”  
Raph grunted, “She can’t stay forever.”  
“Just until she is strong enough to take care of herself.” Splinter assured him.  
The five of them began to create a big dinner for Ruby. Mikey ordered so many pizzas, they thought she wouldn’t be able to eat them all. Fruits and vegetables were placed ready and water, of course, was provided. The turtles thought of waking her, but Splinter said to let her sleep until the pizza arrived.  
“She has clearly been through much and needs as much peace as possible right now.” He whispered looking in on her. She was sleeping heavily, so still she looked dead, but her breathe could be heard clearly in small sighs.  
“So…………that means no movie night?” Mikey asked with a slight smile. They all chuckled and Splinter shook his head. They all went and waited in the big training room, for their mysterious guest to wake and tell them her story.


	2. A New Friend

Ruby woke to the smell of pizza. Her eyes snapped open and she sniffed deeply, her stomach complaining for food. Her eyes perked up and her tail twitched. She stood, following the smell through the training room toward the kitchen. There she found the food the turtles had laid out for her. She looked around, noticing that they weren’t anywhere near. She walked closer and moving as if she were trying to hide from someone, and looked at the delicious looking food. She began to drool slightly. She then found a note on the table hidden by the food and she read it:  
“We have left to do some patrols. The cameras have blind spots. Eat as much food as you like.”  
-Splinter  
Ruby glanced at the food, reread the note and then looked at the food. She smiled, sat down, and began eating. The cheese, pepperoni, Hawaiian, and chicken pizza all looked so good. She went through a bowl of fruit and then started on the Hawaiian pizza.   
About an hour late, Mikey burst into through the door, “Is she awake yet?” he flung his nun chucks onto the weaponry wall and went to check the couch. He found it empty, “She must be in the kitchen.” He said when he came back.  
“That would be probable, seeing as she was starving.” Donny said, putting his staff up.  
The five went to the kitchen and saw Ruby still hard at work with eating. Two pizza boxes were on the floor and two bowls of fruit and vegetables were empty. She stopped and looked at them with a sort of blank look.  
“Do you guys want some?” She asked, “I’m not going to eat all of this.” She smiled a bit.  
“Are you sure?” Leo asked as he sat down with the rest of them.  
She nodded and was about to start eating again when she looked at Splinter, asking, “Did you all escape shredder’s dungeon too?”  
There was a bit of confused silence.  
“Uh………What do you mean by “shredder’s dungeons?” He said cautiously.  
“Well……It’s a building where shredder keeps all his……..um…….experiments. He puts animal DNA mixed with a green ooze in people he’s taken off the streets.” She put her pizza down, “but, every once in a while, he has to invade and kill………in order to get people.” She shook her head and sighed, “Anyway, you all seemed like that’s what happened to you.”  
Splinter shook his head, “For us, it was the opposite way around.” He linked his hands together and placed them on the table, “Can you tell us how you came to be here?”  
Ruby bit her cheek and nodded, “Since I’m here. I was taken from my home about 6 months ago. They took me to an abandoned construction site and down underground to a secret sort of base. It was dimly lit and actually not very big. There were holding chambers with just a bed and, if you’re lucky, a window. There was a big room in the center of the building where they hold the experiments. I got a room right across from the doors leading to that room. Every night, the same screams of pain and fear. If I looked in through the door windows, I would see people, dressed in surgical costumes, pinning down people and injecting them with different types of substances and watching them transform before my eyes, some not living through the process. I was sort of left there for a while, looking at what they were going to do to me. About a week later, the door was opened by the people from the room across the hall, blinding me a bit from the harsh light they were carrying, seeing as the lights did nothing to light the dark corridors, and dragged me toward those accursed doors. I thought I was going to die. I passed out from panic before they even put me in the chair. I woke up finding myself back in my cell and possessing the tail and ears.” Ruby paused, seeming bothered by all she said. Her ears were laid back against her hair and her tail was twitching nervously. She took a deep breathe, as if gathering courage, and continued, “Shredder stopped by to look me over, see if I was strong enough, or had the will to live. He said nothing. He just glared at me and muttered things to the guy in charge of the place. He left and I was left alone for at least a month. I got the usual stale bread and dirty water. One day, the warriors burst in and bound me, sliding a blindfold over my eyes. I don’t know where they took me, or how long it took, but they threw me into this arena. Stands filled with the foot clan members lined the high walls. I wasn’t even given any instruction before shredder walked in, but this time, he wasn’t wearing any of his usual armor. He was………….wasn’t quite human anymore. He reminded me of a werewolf. His eyes were a yellow gold, his body covered in black fur. His claws, rigid sharp and his teeth, gleaming. On his chest, the fur was naturally colored grey to look like the foot clan’s symbol. He looked at me right in the eyes and said, “You have been seen unworthy for this clan and now you must die. The plan I have in mind does not have weaklings like you getting in the way.” The crowd cheered him on and nearly deafened me.” She paused again, scaring herself.  
Splinter held up his hand, “That is enough for now, the rest can be told tomorrow, it is late.” He stood, “Boys, prepare one of the spare rooms for Ruby.”  
“Yes master Splinter,” they said in unison and left the kitchen. They chose the room right in between the kitchen and the TV room. It was empty of course. Leo went and fetched an extra mat from one of the rooms they use as a storage closet.  
“That’s rough, what she went through.” He said as he laid it out on the right side of the room.  
“No kidding,” Donny said a blanket draped over his arm, “According to my calculations, shredder has been at this for at least a year, if he looks the way she described him. I don’t like this at all.”  
“I still think we shouldn’t trust her.” Raph said with a tint of anger, “Why should we believe anything she says? It could be a trap that shredder laid for us.”  
“The reason I trust her Raph is the same reason why I trust you all.” Splinter said walking in, “She has a strong and honest spirit about her. Shredder did not see that and I think that was his mistake. Do not think she would lie about such a tragic experience. Now, get to bed.”  
The four left for their rooms and the silence settled over the hideout like a blanket.   
Ruby poked her head out of the kitchen, “I hope I’m not causing any problems.”  
“No, he is usually like this. Not very good at adapting with new things.” Splinter smiled softly, “Sleep now, you need it.”  
Ruby nodded and went into her new room, closing the door softly and crawling into bed.   
Splinter chuckled, “She will be good for the boys, a new friend to help them learn.” He went to bed himself and the lights slowly turned off, letting the darkness take over and the night singing its melody.


	3. Surprise in the Sewers

Ruby sat up with a small gasp, covered in cold sweat. She breathed heavily and she was shaking. The dream she had just had was still vivid in her head. She had a dream of being back in the stadium, but this time, it was dead silent. Shredder was standing there, but he was 30 feet tall and seemed more like a wild animal than a man then. Saliva had been dripping from his gaping mouth as he let out a huge howl. The look of malice in shredder’s eyes as he prepared to strike her. She had woken before he could hit her, but she could still feel those yellow eyes staring at her and the claws tearing through her flesh. Her hand drifted to her shoulder, the big claw mark seeming to taunt her. Reminding her of that place and how many people have died there in that stadium. She slowed her breathing and calmed her mind. She left her small, cozy room and went to the kitchen to find some food, the sound of her stomach seeming to echo in through the hideout. The moment she had disappeared from the training room, doors began to open.   
Mikey was up and smiling. “Alright, who’s ready for some training.” He said to himself, “but, first stop, breakfast.”  
Donny also came out of his room, “You know you’re talking to yourself….right?”  
“Whatever.” Mikey shrugged, “Let’s just eat something. Maybe there’s some leftover pizza.” He went strolling off to the kitchen.  
Ruby pulled out two boxes from the fridge and tossed them onto the table. She looked for some of the fruit and sat down with the food. “Cold pizza…..better than nothing.” She said with a smile.  
“Is there enough for two more?” Mikey asked with his usual goofy smile.  
“Of course there is.” Her ears were a bit laid back and her tail just couldn’t stand still. She couldn’t get that dream out of her head.  
“Uh………Are you okay?” Donny asked, noticing her tail, “you seem…..tense.”  
She just smiled, “I’m fine, just fine. Don’t worry about me.” She said quickly. Raph suddenly came in and she jumped a bit, hiding under the table.  
Raph frowned, “What’s her problem?”  
Mikey looked under the table, “Are you sure?”  
Ruby sighed, “I guess not……..I just had a nightmare, that’s all.” She looked at him with wide eyes, “I’ve been having the same one ever since I escaped…..so it’s not a big deal. I just get really jumpy in the mornings.” She slowly got back in her chair again, “I should probably tell you the rest of my story now shouldn’t I?”  
“Wait until Leo and Splinter come in. They might want to hear it too.” Mikey sat down and grabbed a piece. After a few minutes, Leo and Splinter came in.   
“Good morning.” Splinter said, “I trust you all had a good night’s rest.” Nods and agreements were the answer. He smiled, “Ruby, would it be a bad time to finish the time of your escape.”  
She shook her head, “not at all. Last night….we left off at the stadium. The crowd by now was roaring for my blood to be spilled. I was by now very tense. Shredder gave me a sort of smile and said, “let the battle begin!” and he charged me. I dodged and began to look for anything that might help me, or a way out. Shredder kept on attacking me, giving me the scars you can see. He seemed focused on ripping my stomach open. I was pretty soon worn out and was desperate. I tried to climb out of the stadium, but the people in the stands just pushed me back in. Finally, I collapsed in exhaustion. Shredder gave me this mark as a symbol of his victory.” She pointed at her shoulder, “I laid there for a while, hearing the crowd faintly, still looking for a way out. I was about to lose all hope until I saw small hole just big enough for me to slip through. I dashed for it with the last of my strength and managed to get out. I could hear shredder yelling in frustration as I ran, not caring where I was headed. Ever since then, I have been hiding in these sewers. I’ve been down here for about two months.” She sighed, “I couldn’t find any food and I didn’t have any money, so I basically starved to death.” She touched her still sunken stomach and looked at the others.  
They were silent. No emotion showed on their faces, or at least not that Ruby could tell.  
“Wow…..You must be pretty tough.” Mikey said with a small smile.  
She laughed, “It was mostly just luck and…..” She stopped. Her pupils turned to slits and she stared out at the door. Her ears almost hidden in her mattered hair, her tail twitching madly, she stood, knocking her chair down.  
“What’s wrong?” Donny looked at the door and then back at Ruby. She said nothing. Then, she knocked Raph off his chair just before a dagger hit where his head should’ve been.  
“What……” Raph stared at the dagger then looked at ruby with anger, “What was that for?”   
“I just saved your life...” She answered with a slight hiss, “Now keep it down.” She crouched and moved closer to the door, “They’ll be coming in soon. That dagger was just a warning.”  
“Who?” Leo asked, glancing at the weapons in the wall.  
“The foot clan.” She said simply and shuddered at the name. As if on cue, five ninjas came in silently. One clearly had the authority, seeing as she was in the front, “Search for her. I know she’s here. Shredder said to kill on sight.”  
Ruby gasped and quickly dashed into the far corner, “They came for me…….I thought they would.”  
Raph shook his head, “Well, I guess I owe you now.” He said with a smirk, “I need a bit of practice anyway.” He cracked his knuckles.  
The others nodded at each other. Mikey smiled, “Man, I am so ready.” The four ran out and instantly the ninjas fell upon them in battle. The turtles were good at defending, even without their weapons, but the ninjas were fast, as if with animal instincts and the turtles were beaten against the wall.  
The ninja in charge walked up to them and pulled down her mask, her face revealed. She had deep red hair with tan skin and eyes of blue, brown, and pink. She had her hair in a rat tail style and wore all black with a red scarf. “Where is Ruby?”  
They all were silent. She sighed, “Torture is in due to force it out.” A taser was brought out and set on the highest setting, “One shock ought to do it.” It buzzed and she raised her arm to bring it down on the turtles, but something interrupted her.  
Ruby stood out in the open, “Don’t hurt them. You wanted to kill me, so don’t waste it on them.”  
She turned the taser off, “There you are…..dear little sister.”  
“Hello….Amy. Been awhile hasn’t it.” She said calmly.


	4. Difficult Family

Amy stood facing Ruby with a slight smirk of her lips, “It has been 3 months since the last time we had a testing battle.”  
Ruby stepped back a bit, “T-those things were unfair!” she said, clearly shaken, “Besides……you can’t-“  
She was cut off by Amy as she kicked her side. Ruby landed in the center of the training room. “Throw the turtles out.” The four were driven out of the training room. A button on the wall was pressed and gates came down, cutting off the training room from all of the rooms. Amy smiled, “What luck.”  
The five ninjas positioned themselves around Ruby. She quickly got to her feet, holding a defensive stance. The circle began to become smaller as the five closed in. She hissed slightly, her body trembling. Suddenly, two attacked from both sides. Ruby blocked as best as she could, using both her arms for each one, but they were weak from starvation and she could barely block. She kicked one in the stomach and knocked the other off their feet. She jumped out of the circle. One came swooping in and caught her arm, throwing her into the ground. She clenched her teeth and kicked him in the face. Amy and her other soldier came in. Her follower jumped over her and grabbed her arms, holding them behind her back. Amy began to punch her face, making Ruby’s nose begin to bleed. She gave a sort of growl from her throat and she threw off the one holding her, kicking him into the opposite wall. She faced Amy and glared at her, “Always a coward to fight me alone.”  
Amy smirked, “Testing your skills is always the first thing on my to do list.” She began to attack her with various attacks, with Ruby countering them all.  
Outside the gates, the four were watching with anxiety.  
“She will never last out there. She isn’t strong enough.” Donny said.  
“Not to mention that she is fighting her sister.” Mikey said with a small shrug.  
“Well then what do we do?” Leo asked, glancing at the battle every once in a while.  
Raph growled, “I hate feeling helpless.” He turned to the gates and grabbed the bottom. His muscles strained as he pulled up of the gate. The gears groaned and slowly began to travel up. “Are you all going to just stand there or help me?” He grunted. The other three quickly got in line with Raph and pulled with him. The gate resisted, but gave way after a few moments of suspense. All of the gates opened.  
Amy stopped attacking and looked at the turtles in disbelieve, “How?!!!”  
“You’re not the only one with ooze in your blood.” Leo said, pointing at the black wings folded against her back.  
She hissed, her wings coming out full length, “Impossible.” She quickly flew out of the place, her ninjas following.  
Ruby sat on the floor, her breathing ragged and blood coming from her nose and mouth. She laid down, “I always hated those tests……”  
Splinter came in, “You were not at your full strength. That must have been tiring, go get washed up and rest for today. Gain your strength.”  
Ruby got up slowly and went to the bathroom. Splinter sighed, “This is terrible. More trouble will surely follow. Let us help her out as best as we can. Step up security.”  
“Working on it.” Donny said, running off to his room to get more cameras and some traps.  
Mikey shook his head, “It was only 8 o’clock in the morning……….a perfectly good one too.”  
Leo patted his shoulder, “Don’t worry, it won’t be that bad. It will be some good training for us.”  
Back at the abandoned building, Shredder and Amy stood on the roof. Shredder was wearing his armor again and he seemed frustrated.  
“I thought she would be no trouble to you!!!!” He said.  
“I’m sorry master, but the turtles-“  
“Turtles!!!!! Not those troublesome creatures!!!!!!” Shredder’s voice elevated in volume. “Leave me!”  
Amy quickly flew off, heading back to the city. She needed time to think, and sort things out. She growled, “Those turtles have ruined everything.”  
Ruby lay in her blanket, also thinking, “Typical, first person shredder sends is my only relative. Thanks for the gift…….Shredder.”


	5. The Wait

Ruby woke in the middle of the night, slightly trembling. The cold bit her exposed arms and she crawled under her blanket. The warmth of her body trapped under the fabric warmed her. She smiled, satisfied, and she tried to sleep again, but couldn’t. She poked her head out and frowned. She got out of her warm cocoon and put on some pants and a sweater with mittens she had found in the streets. She walked out of her room and heard the drips of rain echoing through the tunnels of the sewers. Overhead, in the training room, an exposed sewer grid shone moonlight, lighting the room like a blue flame. Ruby breathed, seeing her breath float through the air and disappear.  
“Is it not beautiful?” Splinter said, coming out of his own room. His eyes shone with the light of age and experience. “It has been so long since the moon has shone so bright. Maybe this is a sign.”  
Ruby cocked her head, “A sign of what?” her tail twitched.  
“A sign of good fortune.” Splinter smiled at her, “Perhaps a sign of great sadness in the future, it is always very unclear.” He sighed, his breath seeming to swirl and fly up and out of the sewers. “Child, I have a question. The boys and I have been talking while you have rested and we would be happy to have you stay here with us.”  
Ruby’s eyes widened and she felt chills down her spine, “What do you mean?” She had to be sure that she thought what he meant.  
“I mean that you can become part of our family, here. You’ll be safe and you can train with the boys, learn to defend yourself.” Splinter placed a hand on her shoulder with a kind of fatherly love look on his face.  
She was speechless. She didn’t know what to say or what to feel either. After about ten seconds of silence, she gave a small happy laugh, tears in her eyes. “Oh thank you…….” She hugged Splinter. Splinter was a few inches taller than her, but not much, so it was easy.   
Splinter hugged her gently back, “You don’t have to thank me.” Ruby cried softly with relief. She didn’t have to run anymore. She didn’t have to look for food, sometimes not getting any for two days. She didn’t have to beg for money and getting ignored. She could finally have a family that cared for her, for so long she has felt alone and now she has people who care.  
Her tears ceased, her eyes not having anything to shed anymore. She pulled away from the hug and smiled, “You have no idea how grateful I am.” She wiped her face dry, not being able to stop grinning. She finally had a place she could call home.  
Before Splinter could say anything, a shadow darted over the sewer grid, temporarily turning the room dark. The pair looked up at the grid and waited. The shadow returned, closer to the ground. After a minute or two, it landed on the grid, looking down.   
Amy looked down at the two and smiled, “Master Shredder will be pleased I got rid of you myself.” She threw the grid off and darted inside, grabbing Ruby by the arms. She was lifted out of the sewers. Ruby struggled and tried to get out of her grip, but she just couldn’t. It probably didn’t help that it was super cold.  
Splinter woke the boys up using a gong they had. The four were instantly out of their rooms, looking alert.  
“What’s the problem?” Leo asked, seeing no immediate danger.  
Splinter pointed up toward the open sewer grid, “Ruby has been taken by Amy. She is planning to end her life.” The turtles have never seen him this stressed before. His teeth were clenched and his eyes were wide.  
“We’re on it.” Donny said without hesitation.  
They grabbed their weapons and dashed up out of the hole. Amy and Ruby were heading toward the largest building in the city. They could hear the protests of the girl flying without wings and headed after them. They climbed onto the tops of the building in a few seconds, the cold whipping at their faces. Amy landed, dropping Ruby roughly onto the roof.  
“What are you waiting for, just drop me off the side now.” Ruby said, standing quickly, facing her sister.  
“That wouldn’t be much fun now would it. Master Shredder said to make it a painful death for the troubles you have given us.” Amy said, her voice betraying her stone face, showing Ruby that she was not happy at all.  
“But I haven’t-“ She was once again cut off with a kick to the side of the face, sending her to the concrete floor.  
“You have done plenty!” Amy showed no compassion and gave her a kick to the ribs, “The clan has spent plenty of days and nights searching for you. Shredder does not want anyone other than us to know of our plans.”  
Ruby caught her ankle when she was about to kick her again, “But what if he doesn’t need you anymore. You’ll share the same fate as the others who died.” She pulled up her sleeve, the bright scar that she has on her shoulder seeming to glow softly, “You will share the scar of the dead.” Her face was calm and defiant, as if she was daring Amy to disagree.  
Amy looked silently, eyes wide with slight fear. That’s when the turtles jumped onto the roof and faced her with their weapons drawn.  
“Step away from her.” Leo growled. The four of them had the faces of protectors. They all looked at Ruby with brotherly love.  
Amy looked at them and spread her wings, “You can’t save her.”  
Ruby stood, “But can you save yourself.” She said with no emotion. She seemed to be in a trance, her eyes slightly clouded.  
It was too much for Amy and she shook her head, “You lie………” She collapsed.  
Ruby’s eyes cleared and her legs caved. She sat on the roof, breathing heavily. She looked around and spotted Amy. “Did I just go into this sort of trance……….”  
Donny nodded, “It was a bit weird.”  
“Just a side effect of the ooze. It just sort of leaks into my brain sometimes.” She shuddered.  
He frowned slightly, “Anyway, what should we do with Amy?”  
She looked at her and smiled a bit, “Let’s take her home. Please, she’s my sister.”  
Donny looked down at the collapsed girl and sighed, “Alright.” The others started to protest, but he cut them off, “Guys, it’s her only real relative. She needs her help.”  
They brought Amy back to the sewers. Raph put the grid back over the hole. Amy was placed on the couch. Ruby sat on the floor next to her.  
“Is she going to be okay?” Ruby asked as Donny did a vitals check.  
“She will, but she will be in a coma for at least a year or two. She will need to breathe in herbs to help clear her system.” Now that they were in the light, they could all see that her wings were as black as nights with hints of pink, purple, and green, showing what they used to looks like.  
They cleared one of the spare rooms and put some slightly smoking pots with herbs in them in the corners of the room, but not enough to choke anyone. Amy lay on a mat with a light blanket on.  
Ruby stood outside the open door. She looked at Amy with a worried look.  
Donny put a hand on her shoulder, “She’s going to be fine, don’t worry.”  
She nodded, “I’ll be waiting for her.” She closed the door and walked off, hoping that Amy will wake up sooner than she thought.


	6. Moving

Two years had passed, Ruby was 18. She had been 16 when she arrived. She had grown to be a bit taller than Splinter, but the turtles were still a head taller than her. Her hair had gotten thicker and longer, traveling down her back, reaching her thighs almost. Her stomach had become the size it was supposed to be.  
Splinter had taught her all she needed to know when defending herself. She had become accustom to using a staff with spear heads attached to each side. She could never beat any of the turtles though, seeing as she only had two years to really study.  
She sat down on a bench after training, wiping the sweat off her forehead with a towel. She was wearing a pair of shorts that went to her knees and a t-shirt. Her hair was up in a ponytail, her bangs hanging in her face. Donny stood in front of her, smiling slightly  
“You know you have to do better than that if you want to beat any of us.” He shouldered his staff. He fixed his glasses and chuckled, “but, it was better than you were doing a year ago.”  
Ruby smiled, “Yeah……” She looked at him, seeing how much he seemed to know her. She stared at him for a while, his yellow golden eyes and his cute smile.  
“Is something wrong?” Donny asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable.  
Ruby cleared her throat, “No….I was just…..it’s nothing.” Her face grew warm as she looked away.  
Mikey strolled in, “Hey you two love birds get out here and check out what’s going on in the tunnels.”  
Donny and Ruby both looked at each other and looked away just as quickly, their faces red.  
“Will you stop that Mikey……” Donny said tensely when Ruby left, “You don’t have to keep hinting her.”  
“What that you like her?” Mikey said with his big goofy smile.  
Donny shook his head and smiled, “Just don’t...” He followed Mikey out.  
What they saw surprised them.  
A big gaping hole was in the ground. It was about as big as a small shed. Inside, nothing could be seen, but dark shadows. Nothing seemed to move down there.  
“Wow……how did this happen?” Ruby asked, leaning into the hole on her hands and knees, “It’s so cool.”  
Leo and Ralph stood on the opposite side of the hole, “I don’t know, but I think it happened while we were training. Can’t hear anything while we’re in our minds.” Leo said.  
Ruby’s tail swayed back and forth, “So…….it was a person, possibly…….” The words disintegrated in her throat. Her eyes went into their nocturnal setting and she scanned the area. After few seconds she was about to give up when she saw a slight movement in the shadows. She hissed, and backed away from the hole.  
Donny grabbed her arm, “The foot clan….” He said, “They think we’ll be stupid enough to go down there. We need to leave, go to one of our other hideouts.”  
“Man. That stinks.” Mikey sighed.  
“Wait, what about Amy.” Ruby grabbed Donny’s arm also, “We can’t move her.”  
“Well, we’ll have to or else those people are going to ambush us.” He said quietly. “She’ll be fine, we just have to be careful.”  
The five of them went back inside and began to grab the supplies, not trying to seem like in a hurry, just in case they had eyes.  
Splinter came out of Amy’s room after checking on her and frowned, “What are you all doing?”  
“There’s a huge group of foot clan members in a huge hole waiting to ambush us. Their first plan failed, seeing as they couldn’t get us to go down there ourselves.” Raph said and growled, “Too bad we can’t just kick their butts.”  
“Come on, we have to move, or else they’ll just get impatient.” Leo said, holding a bag.  
Ruby seemed to be on the verge of fear, with her ears perked and her tail twisted around her leg, “Who’s going to carry Amy?”  
Mikey smiled, “Donny will.”  
He looked at him with confusion, “I will?”  
“Yes. Yes you will.” He said with a wink.  
Donny nodded, “Alright.” He went and picked up Amy gently, “Let’s go.”  
The group moved out silently, trying to avoid detection. They were dispersed evenly, as not to make as much noise. Leo first, followed by Splinter, Ruby, Donny, Mikey, and Raph at the rear. The only sound was soft footsteps echoing. A shout broke the silence and running. Raph looked behind them.  
“Here they come!” He said with alarm, “We have to go faster, or we have to fight.”  
“No time.” Leo said and began to run. They ran through the sewers, with the foot clan not far. They couldn’t seem to outrun them. Ruby was starting to run out of breathe, and so was Splinter.  
“We can’t lose them!” Ruby said, “We have no choice but to face them.” She grabbed her spear staff from her back and turned to face the oncoming crowd.  
Donny handed Amy to Splinter, “Go ahead, we’ll be right behind you”  
Splinter smiled, “I am proud of you my sons.” He turned and ran off. The four turtles joined Ruby and took out their weapons.  
“Thanks guys, for everything. I couldn’t have gone forward if it wasn’t for you all.” Ruby said and sighed, “Let’s all not die today.”  
“I agree.” Mikey said, twirling his nun chucks. The five of them stood there, and listened before charging when the first ninja appeared.


	7. Hidden

Ruby didn’t want to die like this. She wanted to live long and die old, like a normal girl would. Instead, she was stuck in a battle that could cost her life and she was determined not to lose it. She swung her spear, cutting down three ninjas and kicked another one. The other four were doing fine. Mikey was laughing as he knocked down a few, his grin big and wide. Raph was just dropping punches everywhere, bringing out his weapons every once in a while. Leo was swing his swords in two silver blurs and Donny was the same with his staff.  
The ninjas seemed to be getting thinner as they cut them down. Pretty soon, there was just one more group of ten left.  
Ruby stood with her staff held ready, “Why so many? Didn’t want to take any chances?” She asked.  
The group simply charged toward them. The four turtles took on two at a time. Ruby got the last two. She dispatched one easily, the other harder than she expected. He had fast reflexes and seemed to know her every move. The two went for a while, trying to land a blow when Ruby hit a wall. She was trapped. The ninja didn’t waste any time and took out a needle. He injected it into her neck. She gave a small scream and elbowed him in the stomach. She quickly grabbed her staff and it landed in his stomach.  
The four turtles stood, their ninjas on the ground. Donny looked at her with concern, “Are you okay?” He had heard her scream and was worried.  
Ruby smiled, “yeah….yeah I’m okay.” She cleaned her spear a bit, “We should get back to Master Splinter.” She headed down the tunnel.  
Raph frowned, “Well, this isn’t good. It’s not like she screamed for no reason now did she?”  
Leo shook his head, “I would think not, but maybe she just needs some time before she can tell anyone.” They followed her to the other hideout.  
Splinter stood waiting for them outside the door, “You have made it, you had me worried.” He said with a small sigh of relief.  
“It wasn’t that hard.” Raph said as he cracked his knuckles with a smirk on his face.  
“It was awesome to finally have something to do!” Mikey exclaimed as he ran into the hideout.  
“How is Amy?” Ruby asked him.  
“She is fine, I put her in one of the rooms” Splinter took her shoulder, “You have no need to fear my child.”  
Inside, Donny sighed, “Looks like we’ll have to stay low for a while though. Shredder definitely wants you two dead.”  
Ruby nodded and rubbed her forehead, “Excuse me, I need to check on Amy.” She went into the room with her sister and knelt next to her. She looked at her for a while before beginning to cry softly. She grabbed Amy’s hand and held it to her chest, “Please wake up………I need you……” Her pleads were just a whisper but seemed to register. Amy stirred. Ruby gasped and held to her hand tighter. Amy’s eyes opened and she looked around, a bit confused until she focused on Ruby.   
“Ruby………where am I?” She asked. Her wings were brights colors of green pink and purple and her eyes seemed brighter.  
Ruby smiled, “It’s okay.” She helped her sit up, “We’re safe here.” She hugged her tightly.  
Amy hugged her back, “Did I do anything horrible to you? I remember doing and saying some awful stuff, but it seemed like a dream.”  
Her little sister was silent for a bit, “It wasn’t your fault.” She whispered, “It’s been two years since you went into a coma.”  
“Two years?! I’m 20?!” Amy said with surprise.  
Ruby laughed, “Yeah……I guess so.” She pulled away from their hug and dried her face, “You missed my 18th birthday.” She chuckled.  
She smiled a bit, “I was a bit busy at the moment.” They both laughed. Suddenly the door opened and Splinter peeked in, “Excuse me Ruby, but I thought I heard two……..voices.” He saw Amy sitting up and he smiled, “Hello Amy, glad to see you’re awake. I am Master Splinter. We have been caring for you sister.”  
“We?” Amy asked looking past him. She saw Donny, Leo, Raph and Mikey looking at her with smiles. “Why are you all turtles and a rat?”  
Splinter smiled, “It’s like what happened to you, but in the opposite way.” He answered.  
Ruby stood, “Do you want to eat something?”  
Amy nodded and she help stand her up. They headed to the kitchen. Splinter watched them and his smile grew bigger, “Looks like she has forgiven her sister for the things she has done. Learn from Ruby my sons, she has shown great patience with her big sister for years.”  
The four nodded and said in unison, “Yes Master Splinter.”  
He looked at the four, “You have made me proud my sons. But do not let down your guard. We have to make sure no one finds this place.”  
The four nodded again and they smiled at each other.  
In the kitchen, Amy was eating out the fridge. Ruby nibbled on a piece on pizza, “I don’t think we’ll be able to go outside for a while.”  
She shrugged, “Then we will have to make due and have fun underground for a while.”  
The sisters stayed there for a while enjoying each other’s company and didn’t leave each other until the sun went down.


	8. Sickness on a Rampage

Ruby woke with a soft groan. Pain shot through her neck and down her spine. She grinded her teeth and squeezed her blanket. She had been feeling this pain for at least a week, ever since that ninja injected her. She slowly got to her knees and breathed, the pain slowly subduing.  
Amy poked her head in, “Hey, you coming? Your favorite show is on.”  
“y-yeah…….I’m coming.” She nodded.  
Amy came back to the tv room where the turtles were watching.  
“How is she?” Donny asked.  
Amy shook her head, “She’s still trying to hide it. It seems to be getting worse.”  
Raph shook his head, “Why won’t she just let us help. She can be so stubborn!”  
“Don’t worry, she’ll tell us when she is ready to” Leo said.  
Ruby walked out of her room, a bit stiff. She walked in with a smile, “hey guys.” She leaned on the couch, her finger playing with Donny’s mask.  
“uh, hey Ruby.” Donny said, his cheeks going a bit red.  
Mikey stood, “Take my seat.” which was right next to Donny,  
She gladly took it. Amy looked at Mikey with a small frown and he nodded encouragingly. Leo and Raph tried not look at the two, smiles on their faces.  
Splinter rang the gong and they all went out to the training room. The rat was standing in the middle of the room, “I see you have been exercising your eyes, “ he chuckled, “Well, now it is time to exercise your mind and body. We will begin by preparing with a small meditation to bond the mind and body.”  
The seven of them all formed a circle around the middle on their knees and closed their eyes.  
Ruby’s mind was in turmoil. She guessed that they all had already figured out about her pain, but she couldn't bring herself to tell them. She was worried that it would just make their worry worsen. Her thoughts seemed to bounce off the walls of her brain and make dents.  
Splinter opened his eyes and frowned, “It seems that one of us is unable to focus.” He looked at Ruby. She opened her own eyes, but didn’t looked back at Splinter.  
The others looked at each other and then at Ruby.   
“Is there something wrong Ruby?” Amy asked, “Come on, you can tell us.”  
“ I………..I can’t.” She shook her head, “I can’t do that to you guys…….”  
“Please, you can’t hide it from us.” She pleaded, her wings stretching a bit.  
Ruby shook her head one more time and stood, walking off into her room and closing the door softly.  
“I pushed her too hard didn’t I?” Amy frowned. Splinter smiled.  
“You were trying to help, that is all. Now, we just need to give her some of the space she needs to work things out for herself.” Splinter looked at Ruby’s door, “We’ll check on her tonight. That will give her plenty of time.”  
When the moon was just beginning to appear in the sky, Amy couldn’t wait any longer.  
“I have to go check on her now. She hasn’t come out all day and I don’t like it.” Leo held up his hands and stood in front of her, “Just wait-”  
“No!!!! No more waiting, I have waited long enough.” She pushed past him and walked up to Ruby’s door. She knocked and said, “Ruby? Ruby, are you okay? You haven’t come out since this morning.”  
“Don’t come in here!!!!” Her small voice could be heard from beyond the wooden door, “You can’t come in!!!!”  
“Too bad,” Amy pushed open the door and look at her sister with surprise and horror. Ruby’s blankets were red and stained. The mat she lay on was drenched with what appeared to be blood and sweat. Ruby herself was worse. He whole body was drenched and her hair was also stained red. Her tail matched and was curled up on the floor. Her face was twisted in pain and had tear trails through the red color. The big thing that stood out…...was her back. Her shirt was torn. It was covered in boils the size of baseballs. It was red and bleeding from the boils that inhabited it.  
“I told you…...not to come in here……” she said through clenched teeth.  
“What’s going on?” Donny came into view and he gave a small gasp, “Ruby, are you…...what happened?”  
“A foot clan member……..He injected me with something in the neck…….It didn’t seem to matter….. until my back started to hurt and…...I would wake up in the middle of the night to find it bleeding.” She suppressed a small scream as pain traveled down her spine, “I thought it would pass, but It just got worse.”  
“Go and get master Splinter.” Donny told Amy. She nodded and ran off to find the rat.  
Ruby breathe shook as she began to speak, “Donatello……...are you…...angry?” She said it in a whisper, but it seemed to fill the room. Donny looked at her with a hint of fire.  
“Of course I am! Why didn’t you tell me?!” He fixed his glasses, as he did whenever he was nervous.  
“I……...I just didn’t want t-to……...worry you.” her bottom lip quivered, “I…...I just……..I just……..” She began to cry softly, “I just wanted to protect you from all the pain you would have felt.”  
“This isn’t any better!” Donny retorted. He sighed, calming down a bit, “We could’ve stopped this before in the early stages.” Splinter came in with a look of alarm.  
“Oh dear, this is not good.” He knelt down next to her, facing her back.  
“What exactly is this?” Raph asked, peering in with Leo and Mikey.  
“This is an infection near the spine in the neck. It slows the blood flow and makes the back begin to swell. The boils are where all the extra fluids escape to. If we don’t stop this, her brain will lose the connection it needs and she’ll……..” Splinter gently touched one and Ruby screamed, her tears running down her cheeks.  
“We have to empty the fluids from the boils and put antibiotics in her bloodstream to kill the infection.”  
“How do you know all of this?” Amy asked, not taking her eyes off of her sister.  
“I have seen this before and I have seen many people die from it. It is not a pretty one, or a peaceful one either.”  
Ruby groaned softly and breathed out the words, “Do it…...Do it now. I…..I don’t want to…...to die.”  
A few minutes later, her room was a bit crowded. A few tools were laid out next to Splinter and antibiotics in a bottle of blood sat next to a syringe. Amy, Leo, Mikey, and Raph were sitting on the couch in the other room, waiting. Donny sat on the other side of Ruby while she lay on her back, squeezing her pillow.  
“okay, Donny, if this is too much for you to bear, you can leave at any time.” Splinter said. In his hand was a scalpel. Amy had gone and gotten anything they needed at the many nearby stores. Ruby nodded in agreement.  
“Alright…….” He swallowed and took Ruby’s hand. She seemed to relax a bit.  
“I’m ready.” She said quietly. She bit her bottom lip and squeezed her eyes shut.  
“I’m going to count to three. One…..Two…...Three.” On three, Splinter began to quickly, but gently, puncture the boils. There was no delay, she instantly began to scream. Her hands shook, but she didn’t move. All her pain left her mouth through sound. Donny squeezed her hand. Splinter muttered things that could only be heard by him.  
The last boil drained and Ruby was silent. She lay on the mat, motionless, but breathing. Her eyes were closed and she cried violently.  
“It’s all done…….The pain is gone.” Splinter said softly as he took the bottle and syringe with his red hands and filled the syringe. He injected her in the vein in her neck. She didn’t even notice. Donny took one of the small rags and began to dab her back gently, to clean it.  
“That was pretty brave of you…….” He said.  
Ruby sniffed, “I don’t think I’m going to be brave for a while……”  
Donny laughed and Ruby joined in.


	9. Twins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby has been recovering for a few weeks and she hasn't realized that her birthday was just around the corner. The others of this strange family plan a surprise party and get a surprise of their own.

Donny and Splinter walked out of Ruby’s room. Amy, Mikey, Raph, and Leo were all standing in front of them.  
“What was all that screaming?” Amy asked.  
“Is she going to be okay?” Mikey added.  
“She is going to be fine. She just needs some rest.” Splinter answered. Donny was silent, not even looking at the others. Leo frowned a bit.  
“Donny?” He looked up at Leo. “Are you alright?” Leo searched his brother’s face. Donny shook his head.  
“I’m worried……...Ruby can’t take much more of this. Shredder won’t stop until she’s dead. I don’t know how long she can take the torment.” Donny walked off.  
“That’s tough…..” Raph said as he watched his younger brother leave, “Shredder has some nerve to mess with us.” He growled and beat his fist into his hand, “I would love to pound his face into the wall and kick his butt into space.”  
“I don’t think that will be very possible with his state of being an animal.” Mikey said and imitated a werewolf. Splinter cleared his throat.  
“It is getting late, let us retire and we will see how she is doing in the morning.” He shooed them off to their rooms. He walked out to the tunnels and found Donny sitting by the manhole.  
“Master…...what’s going to happen?” he asked.  
“That is uncertain. The only thing we can do is look forward with an air of hope for the best.” Splinter placed a hand on his shoulder, “Our job is to be ready for anything. Now, come. The sun is going down, so we must follow.”  
The two went back inside and the sun slipped behind the horizon to come back the next day.  
A few weeks later, Ruby opened her eyes slowly. A tray sat next to her mat and she frowned. A card sat on the tray. She picked it up. Donny’s name was written on the card and she blushed. She opened it and it said:  
“Here is a little something I made you. I thought you would like it. By the way, happy 19th birthday.”  
Love, Donatello  
Ruby’s face went a bit more red and she smiled. He hadn’t forgotten her birthday, April 8th. On the tray was a small stack of pancakes and a glass of orange juice with some apple slices next to it. She gave a small laugh, “Thanks Donny.” she muttered.  
Outside her door, the others were discussing the plans for the day.  
“We have to throw her an amazing party here!” Mikey said, “Then, at night, we could take her out through the city for a breath of fresh air. She likes it up there.”  
Donny nodded, “I agree, but we have to keep in mind that her back is still healing, so we can’t do anything really crazy.”  
“We could order some pizza, maybe a cake.” Leo suggested, “We don’t exactly know how to throw a birthday party.”  
“Movies are a great time waster.” Raph said, “Then we can do all the funs stuff when we go out.”  
“I think we should have a bit more than that,” Amy said, “How about we also play a few games.”  
Splinter laughed, “These are all very good ideas. Let’s wait until a few hours before sunset to have the party.”  
Amy considered it for a while before saying, “I’ll bake the cake.” She stood, “I’m going out, don’t tell Ruby about the party, but don’t make her think you forgot her birthday.” She took her baggy sweater and slipped it over her wings and walked out.  
Mikey elbowed Donny, “You give Ruby that breakfast?”  
Donny’s cheeks went red, “W-what!?”  
“I saw you making it early this morning.” Mikey whispered.  
Donny looked at the ground before saying, “I-it doesn’t matter..” He fixed his glasses and stood, walking off to look at the security cameras.  
Ruby walked out of her room, wearing the back brace donny had made for her. It had a netting of support for her spine and straps encircle her torso, holding it straight and upright.  
“Hey there Ruby, how’s the spine?” Mikey waved a bit and smiled, “Is it getting stronger?”  
She gave him her own big smile, “It’s much better, this brace is doing wonders.”  
“By the way, Happy Birthday.” Leo said while putting his swords up after cleaning them.  
Raph chuckled slightly and gave her a sideways look, “Did you think we forgot?”  
She gave him a playful, angry look for a moment, “Of course not.”  
Donny walked out of the security room, “I found something strange that we….” He cut short when he spotted Ruby. “Oh, hey Ruby, you’re up early.” His face went a bit red, “uh...is the b-brace working for…..for you?” His asked.  
“I-it’s working great.” She walked up to him and gave him a small peck on the cheek, “Thanks for the breakfast.” Her ears laid back, her tail swayed slowly and she walked out and into the tv room.  
Mikey smiled at Donny and gave him a thumbs up, “I told you it would work.” Donny cleared his throat and covered his mouth with his hand, the red completely engulfing his face, not saying anything.  
For the rest of the day until the party, Amy had begun baking the cake and keeping Ruby away from it. They had fun training, watching some tv, and just running through the tunnels of the sewers. About two hours before sunset, Ruby sat in the center of the training room, a blindfold on. The turtles sat around her. Splinter stood next to Leo and Mikey. Amy carried in her cake, a marble cake with chocolate frosting. It was placed in front of her sister and she took the blindfold off. The instant she could see, she heard them sing the happy birthday song. Mikey held a box of pizza and Leo held another. Ruby smiled and chuckled with delight. . When they finished singing, she blew out the candles.  
She smiled and clapped in delight, “You guys are the best! Thank you!” She laughed.  
Leo opened his box, “Would you care for a slice?” Ruby’s ears perked up at the smell of pizza and her tail twitched. She grabbed a piece without a word and took a bite.  
“This is going to be awesome!” She said with excitement. The others laughed and also started to eat the delightful food.  
After the pizza, they skipped to the cake and ate every single crumb of the chocolate substance. Amy was congratulated on her cooking skills and the presents were brought out. Mikey gave her a sweater with a tardis on it with the change he would find occasionally in the sewers. Raph got her a pair of running shoes that were in good condition. She received a new blanket from leo and a book she had been dying to get from Donny. Splinter got her a hilt for her spear staff and from Amy she got….  
“A kitten!!!!” She snuggled the little furball. It pawed at her face and she pet its ears. “oh it’s so adorable! Where did you get her?”  
“I found her in the dumpster this morning. She was pretty terrible looking.” Amy smiled.  
“Kind of like when we found you in our kitchen.” Leo said thoughtfully.  
Ruby placed the kitten on her head and she played with her ears, “Well, you need a name. You shall be called….Sheela.” She laughed when she fell into her lap. She rubbed her stomach and the kitten purred loudly.  
Mikey cooed, “Oh, it’s so cute!” he smiled.  
Sheela looked at him and meowed. She stood and moved closer to him. The kitten pounced onto his head. “Woah there little buddy.” He chuckled and took the kitten off his head.  
Ruby took her and put her back on her head, “Can we built a platform hanging from the ceiling for us, I need a place to lounge.”  
“Sure, but for now, you want to go out?” Donny asked.   
Ruby’s eyes lit up, “Really, we get to go outside!!!!” She stood, nearly knocking Sheela off her head, “Yeah!” She laughed, “Let’s go!” She slipped on her new shoes and jacket, putting Sheela in the hood. The hood was deep, allowing the small animal to keep warm and to have a little nap.  
“Are you coming Master Splinter?” Raph asked.  
“No, I will be meditating. Be careful and have fun.” Splinter smiled.  
Ruby bounced and ran out, “Last one out gets to clean up the training room!”  
Mikey ran after her, “That’s no fair!” The other four followed him. When they got outside, Ruby was already on top of the roof of the nearest building.  
“She is way too fast…” Leo said. Amy smiled and let her wings come out. She flew off into the air and landed on the roof. The four turtles climbed after them.  
Ruby giggled with Amy next to her. They were hiding in the alley way on the other side of the building. Amy hushed her with a finger to her lips. The two of the could hear the four’s confused cries and saw them searching. Ruby held a hand over her mouth to stop from laughing. That’s when she noticed Sheela peeking out from her hood. “What’s wrong girl?” She whispered. The cat meow quietly and shrank deeper, her ears laid back and staring at the shadows. Ruby followed her gaze and saw what was making her cat so uneasy. A pair of shadows stood in the darkness of the alley. They were the same height and both had extremely spiky hair, but there was something off. She looked at them and realized what was bugging her, they had snouts. Her nocturnal sights turned on. They hadn’t quite noticed them yet. One had darker fur than the other, each a shade of grey. Their eyes were a piercing red and they were pretty bulky. They wore shorts and white t-shirts.  
“What are we supposed to do again keith?” The lighter haired one asked.  
“Nitwit, we’re supposed to find those two traitors and bring the turtles back to headquarters.” Keith said, giving him a smack to the back of the head.  
“Alright, alright, but can you use my name or did you forget it was Gavin.” He said with a slight pout.  
“Just come on…” Keith growled and walked off. Amy had noticed them when they started talking. She glared at them, “They used to be my partners….”  
“Gavin was extra friendly to me at one point….” She said quietly, “and it wasn’t a very good thing…” She shuddered at the thought, “He nearly killed me once.”  
Amy snorted, “Well, he was pretty lonely seeing as he was an animal and all.” She whispered and cracked a small smile. Suddenly, they could hear cries of alarm from the roof, but they were all cut off shortly. Gavin and Keith appeared carrying two turtles at a time. They ran off with them and all went silent.  
Ruby came to her senses shortly after and stood, “Come on, we have to warn Master Splinter.” Amy stood and they both ran into the sewers. They burst into the hideout. “Master Splinter help! Leo, Raph,Mikey, and Donny have been taken by Shredder.”  
Splinter appeared immediately from his room, “What?!”  
“we’ve got to help them!” Amy said a bit less panicked.  
Splinter held up his hands, “Hold on, hold on, we will, but first, we must have a plan.”  
“then let’s get started.” Amy said and they sat down right there are started to talk.


	10. Rescue

The turtles woke slowly, confused. They were in a glass cage in a room filled with equipment of some sort. It was light and the walls were white. People walked around, all wearing lab coats, looking at the equipment. Mikey was the first to speak, "What's going on...where are we?"

Raph shook his head to clear it, "My head...I've got a huge headache."

Donny looked around, "I believe we're in a lab of some kind."

"Right you are, turtle." The four turned and saw Shredder, his armor glinting in the light, "You've had the privilege of being test subjects. My scientists have been developing some new tech."

Leo frowned, "What kind of tech?"

"Try weaponry." Shredder said and laughed, walking out. "Let the testing begin!" He said before the door shut.

Mikey placed his hands on the glass, "I can't be in a cage for the rest of my life!"

Raph growled and ran his shoulder into the wall, but he just bounced off, "I'm not planning to."

Donny looked closely at the walls, "I don't think you'll be able to smash these, this is no ordinary glass. This must be reinforced." He knocked on it and nodded, "Yeah, you can't break this without a wrecking ball."

Leo sighed, "Great...so what, we just sit here and wait."

Donny nodded, "Do you really think Ruby would leave us?"

Mikey smiled, "He's got a point."

Raph frowned, "I hate waiting." He leaned his shell against the glass.

Meanwhile, Ruby and Amy hid outside the hideout, watching. There was no movement at all except for a leaf blowing in the slight breeze. Ruby nodded and the pair dashed forward and into the crumbling building. Amy lead the way to a pair of stair, their footsteps silent. They made their way down and came to another flight of stairs and a hallway. They ignored it and went deeper down. There seemed to be no one around. They got to another floor, this one, with bright lights and walls refurbished. Amy stopped, "This is the right floor, the one below this is where they burn things."

Ruby swallowed, understanding exactly what they burned and followed her older sister down a hall. "The lab should be..." Amy looked inside one of the doors and smiled, "Here, I see them across the room." Suddenly, a roar of applause could be heard, muffled, from above.

"Shredder must be giving them some entertainment. That must be why no one's here." Ruby looked into the room. "come on, let's take them out." She took out her staff from her hilt.

Amy nodded, "Just don't get hit by any of that equipment, they're prototypes and we don't know what they'll do."

Ruby sighed, "I know. I was a pretty good eavesdropper when I got these ears." they twitched and she opened the door. The two burst in, taking out all the scientists before they could even react properly.

Mikey smiled, "Wow. That was fast."

Amy pressed a button and the cage lifted. Before anyone could say anything, Ruby wrapped her arms around Donny, "Are you guys okay?" She looked at them with a scared look, "I got scared and worried..."

Leo laughed, "Hold on mother, slow down. We're fine."

Ruby gave them a small smile, "Quit it, you were here for at least seven hours." Amy chuckled.

The reunion was soon cut short when Gavin and Kieth entered, "Looks like they're out." Kieth growled, "Hey, your friend is here."

Gavin smirked, "Ruby, I didn't expect you to be here,"

Ruby glared at him, her ears back and her tail curled. She hissed, "Stay away from me!"

Gavin gave her a look that sent chills down her back and he said, "I've missed you..." His eyes traveled down her body and her eyes went to slits as she hissed even louder and she went into a defensive stance, down on all fours, her teeth bared."

Donny got out his staff, "Lay off."

Amy grabbed her own sword she always had and pointed it at the two wolverine twins, "Do not touch her..." Her wings spread out and she blocked Ruby from Gavin's vision.

Kieth snorted, "Still the same old stubborn partner I used to have." The other three turtles took out their weapons and faced the two with warey.

The two looked at each other and then back at the group. Kieth sighed, "Alright, looks like we're doing this the hard way." He and Gavin then began to grow. The two hunched over as they're bodies became bigger in size and in muscular mass. Ruby suddenly felt very small and she clung to Amy's arm.

"Let's get out of here!" Amy said and they all ran out. The twins growled as their transformation ended and they ran after them.

Leo looked back and the two were running up their shells, "Faster!" he said urgently. Mikey looked back with him and gave a cry of alarm, his speed increasing. They turned onto the stairs and the wolves skidded past, bounding up after them after catching their balance.

Raph growled, "They're going to catch up in no time if we don't slow them down!"

"We have to get them outside! There's no room in their building to fight properly!" Ruby said, "Good thing I left Sheela at home." She muttered as she turned onto the last flight of stairs. At last, they reached the top, the moonlight lighting the crumbling walls of the place. The group split up and hid in the rubble, each trying to catch their breath. No sooner, the twins burst into the ruins, their mouth foaming a bit.

Gavin growled, "Where'd they go? We had them!"

Kieth hit him in the back of the head, "We still do. They're still here. I can smell them, but I can't quite pinpoint their location."

Gavin took in a huge whiff of the smell and opened his golden eyes, "I know one person I can find."

Ruby hid in a pile of broken rock and brick. She held her breath, knowing exactly who Gavin was speaking of. He would always come and smell her hair every night when she was still a prisoner, being too afraid to open her eyes when he came and pretend to sleep.

Gavin marched right up to the pile she was hiding and stuck his giant hand in, finding the terrified cat girl and taking her out. He chuckled, "I found her..." He squeezed her a bit and Ruby's breath quickened, her eyes wide with fear and her face a bit pale.

Amy spread her wings and was about to take off when Leo grabbed her hand. She looked back at the turtle and he shook his head and mouthed, "Not yet." Amy looked from Ruby to Leo and put her wings away.

Kieth rolled his eyes a bit, "You don't have time for that right now. We've got to find the others or else shredder will have our hides."

Gavin ran his thumb over Ruby's stomach and he chuckled, "Oh come on. You can find them." Ruby struggled and Gavin's thumb pushed on her stomach, making her gag and choke.

Kieth growled, "You are not going to do this to me again!"

Gavin sighed, "Alright, fine." He began to look for the others.

Mikey looked at Donny, "How are we going to beat these guys, they're as big as a house."

Donny looked at Ruby in Gavin's hand, looking so small and scared, "We've got to."

What the two twins didn't know is that while they were looking, the remaining four had thought up a plan to defeat the two. Raph and Leo stood on opposite side of the ruins, their weapons out. Donny and Mikey also had their own. Amy stood in a higher place, her wings ready and her gaze steady on her younger sister. The four turtles all made eye contact with each other and they all started to close in, keeping to the shadows. They got closer and closer until there was no where else for them to get any closer without being seen. Raph and Leo looked at each other, nodded, and stepped out. They charged and each took one twin, Kieth with Raph and Leo with Gavin. They were the distractions. While they were keeping them busy, Micky and Donny were busy getting in positions by the pit. Amy had told them about a pit that lead right down to the bottom floor where they burned things, to save time. When the two were in their place, Leo and Raph began to lead Kieth and Gavin.

"Hey, you big meat heads, can you keep up!" Raph taunted as he ran off toward the pit. Kieth was so angry that he followed blindly, wanting to rip the turtle's shell off.

Leo got Gavin to follow him, Gavin growled in anger, "Running away? I see you've come to your senses, but I think you just your death worse!"

Donny looked down into the pit and shuddered slightly. It was a long fall with a constant fire burning at the bottom. The smell of death could easily be detected and he pinched his nose a bit, "that's nasty..."

The two wolves snarled and reached the pit with the two turtles leading them.

Kieth swiped at the group, "I'm going to enjoy watching you fight in the arena."

"Not a chance." Mikey said.

The twins charged and the turtles dodged their attacks, making them slip and fall into the pit. Gavin lose his grip on Ruby, but he scratched her side completely. Amy swooped in and caught her before she could fall to her death. She landed next to the turtles and she was greeted by a little sister, clinging to her.

"Hey, it's okay...It's over." Amy said softly, her wings engulfing Ruby in a protective hug. Ruby still clung to her, her body shaking violently and her face buried in her shoulder.

"Is she okay?" Donny asked.

"Does she need another hug?" Mikey added.

Leo put his weapons away, "We should go."

Raph sighed, "I don't want to run into any more foot clan. I'm done with those guys."

Amy gently pulled Ruby off of her and stood, pulling Ruby up with her. She looked at her with worry and asked, "Can one of you guys let her ride on your shell, I don't think she can walk right now..." Ruby was still shaking and she had a distant look in her eyes. Her ears were laid back and her tail twisted around her leg.

"She can go on mine." Raph said. He squatted down and Amy helped Ruby climb onto his broad shell. She sat on his shell, her legs dangling over his shoulder. She was silent. The group started off, quickly heading toward the nearest sewer entrance.


End file.
